Lavrov: Palestinian unity crucial for Middle East settlement

Efforts to promote Palestinian unity and the solidarity of the League of Arab States should be the centerpiece of Middle East diplomacy. The statement came from the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, currently touring the Middle East. Addressing reporters in Muscat, Oman, he said the Middle East Quartet consisting of mediators from Russia, the United States, the United Nations and the European Union continued to work along these lines. The date for the Quartet’s next meeting will be discussed during a forthcoming conference on aid to Palestinians, due in Egypt in early March. Mr. Lavrov said that Egypt had not asked Russia to exert influence on Hamas, Iran or Syria. “There is no need for that,” he added. Also, he called for direct contacts between Israel and Syria. Earlier, after talks with his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Aboul Ghait in Cairo, Mr. Lavrov confirmed that the Moscow international Middle East conference would take place in the first half of the year.